Feed mechanism for medium fluter



June 15, 1965 F. D. LONG FEED MECHANISM FOR MEDIUM FLUTER Filed March 5, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR FLEMING D. LONG ATTORNEYS June 15, 1965 F. D. LONG FEED MECHANISM FOR MEDIUM FLUTER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 5, 1962 6 m a F ml. w o we W G M E 8 o a m fid 2 l 1 n is 0 T m w I x I 4 l1 H M J FHI,.. gy fiymf fiid nfl x Wtl I II LI I l I FIII L1 ATTORNEYS June 15, 1965 F. D. LONG 3,189,507

V FEED MECHANISM FOR MEDIUM FLUTER Filed March 5, 1962 s Sheets-Sheet s I qli lf 22 INVENTOR FLEMING D- LONG ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,189,507 FEED lVlECSM FOR MEDIUM FLUTER Fleming 1). Long, Chicago, Ill, assignor to Container Corporation of America, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Mar. 5, 1962, Ser. No. 177,331 Claims. (Cl. 156596) This invention appertains broadly to a machine for making and producing a fluted strip utilized as a part of a corrugated board or sample and more particularly to a medium fluter for producing a sample of a corrugated strip for test purposes.

An example of such a machine is shown in my Patent No. 3,011,937, issued December 5, .1961, and in this prior patent the strips to be fluted were fed by hand into the machine and between the flut-ing rolls. Thus there was no assurance that the strips would all be fed in the same manner tothe rolls and consequently the flutes made would be spaced different distances from the terminals of the strips. Thus the prior machine did not produce identical samples all possessing the same characteristics.

One of the primary objects of my present invention is to provide an automatic means for feeding the strips into the machine and between the fluting rolls, with the means so timed relative to the rolls that each strip will be fed in the exact same manner to and between the rolls to produce identical fluted strips.

Another salient object of my invention is to provide a simple but etfective mechanism for automatically delivering strips to be fluted to a medium fluting machine embodying a novel guide for holding the strips in line and means including a slide block operating in the guide for delivering the strips to the rolls.

A further important object of my invention is to provide cam means or shoes carried by one of the fluting rolls for operating the slide block, the cams or shoes all being located in an exact same position on the roll relative to fluting teeth, so that all the strips will be fed [in the same manner between the rolls and whereby teeth of the fluting rolls will initially strike at the same point on all strips relative to the terminals of the strips.

With the above and other objects in'view, which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

One preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- FIGURE 1 is a top plan View of a medium fluter showing my novel strip feeding mechanism incorporated therewith, parts of the figure being shown broken away to illustrate structural features;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view showing the strip feeding mechanism;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view through the feed mechanism taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the feed mechanism taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 3 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 5 is a detailed vertical sectional view through the feed mechanism taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 2 looking in the direction of the arrows and illustrating more particularly the connection between the cam operated lever ,mechanism and the feed slide block; and

3,18%,597 Patented June 15, 1965 FIGURE 6 is a perspective view showing one of the fluted strips produced by the machine.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, letter F generally indicates one type of my improved medium fluter and G my automatic means for feeding a strip S into the machine.

For the purpose of illustrating my automatic strip feeding means G, -I have shown the same connected with the medium fluter P, which can be considered as the same type shown in my above mentioned patent. Thus the machine F includes a frame 10 on which is rotatably mounted intermeshing flut-ing rolls 11 and 12. One of the rolls, say the roll 11, :is power driven. The frame 10, the rolls 1-1 and 12 and other par-ts of the machine are preferably housed in a casing 13. As my strip feeding mechanism G c0- operates primarily with .the fluting rolls 11 and 12, other parts of the machine have not been shown or described.

In practice a straight strip S is fed between the rolls 11 and 12 and the inter-meshing teeth of these rolls form a strip, now indicated by the reference character 14 in FIGURE 6 having equidistantly spaced flutes 15. As heretofore brought out, it is desirable that all of the fluted strips 14- be of identically the same configuration with the end flutes 15 all spaced exactly the same from the terminals of the strips.

In order to accomplish this, I have provided my novel automatic strip feeding means G. This strip feeding means G includes a pair of facing guide blocks 16 and 1-7. The blocks can be secured together in any preferred manner, such as by the use of machine screws 18. The guide blocks 16 and 17 for a major part of their length are spaced to provide a guide slot 19 therebetween for receiving the strips S to be fluted. The block 17 at its rear end is cut away as at 20 to facilitate the manual insertion of the strip S in the guide slot 19 and the inner wall of this cut-away portion inclines inwardly to form a guide face leading toward the guide slot which also aids in th leading of the strip S into the slot. The cut-away port-ion 20 also provides a space for a certain operating part of the feeder G.

The forward end of the guide blocks 16 and 17 are provided with tapered noses 21 which lead between the rolls 11 and 12, as best shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 and the blocks are rigidly secured to an appropriate part of the frame 1! of the machine by machine screws 22. The guide block 16 is provided with a longitudinally extending guide way 23 in which is reciprocally mounted a slide block 24. The guide way 23 can be partially covered by a plate 25 which is secured in place on the guide block 16 by fastening screws 26. The inner end of the slide block 24 has formed thereon or secured thereto a strip feeding hook 27. The block 16 also has formed in its inner face a guide slot 28 for the feeding hook '27 and this guide slot 28 communicates with the guide way 23 for the slide block 24. Thus during reciprocation of the slide block 24 the hook 27 will be carried therewith and moved toward and away from the fluting rolls 11 and 12.

To bring about the automatic reciprocation of the slide block 24, I provide an L-shaped crank 29. This crank includes a long arm 34) and a relatively short inwardly extending right angularly extending arm 31. The outer end of the arm 36 is mounted for rocking movement on a .mounting bracket 32 which is secured to the guide block 17. A threaded bearing pin 33 can be utilized for rockably mounting the crank 29 on the bracket 3%}. As best edge.

shown in FIGURE 5, the mo nting bracket 32 can extend over the strip'guide slot 19 and thus function as a further means for guiding the strip and holding the same on its The crank 29 at its angle is operatively connected to the slide block 24. This operative'connection includes an upright pin 34 rigidly carried by the slide block ad jacent to its forward end. The pin extends through a slot 35 formed in the crank The crank is 'normally'held in over the slide blocks by a contractile coil spring 36.

The opposite endsof the spring are connectedrespectively to the crank and to the. cover plate 25. However, the inner end of the shortarm 31 of the crank extends par- "tially over the fluting roll 11 and this end of the crank terminates in a hook 37 which cooperates with cams or tive, engagement between thecrank and the cams or shoes T38 and hence, the arm '31 can be mounted for limited swinging movement and adjustment on the main body portion ofthe crank. Hence, as illustrated (see FIGURE 2), the iner-end of the crank arm El is mounted on a pivot 39 carried by an extension of the crank arm 39 and this. extension also carries an adjusting screw 49 which extends through an arcuate slot 41 formed in the inner end of the crank. arm 31. By tightening and loosening the screw 49,

is more or less cams or shoes 38 can be employed. As illustrated, I have utilized four cams or shoes'38 and the sameare located adjacent tothe periphery of the roll 11 and exactly 90 apart. Each cam or shoe is accurately positioned on the fluting roll relative to an adjacent fiuting tooth and all of the shoes are positioned exactly the same a relative to an adjacent tooth.

7 In operation of my strip feeding and guide meansG and considering that the machine F is in operation and the rolls 11 are being rotated in the direction of the arrows ly forward and position the strip S between the'rolls '11 45 and 12 and such strip will be accurately fluted thereby. As soon as a cam or shoe rides past the-crank arm 31, thecrank arm and the slide block will be quickly returned to its normal position by the spring 36 and at this time, another strip can be placed in position. 7 V A stop 42 is carried by the mounting bracket for limiting the outward swinging movement of the crank 29 by the spring 36.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that 1' have provided a simple but positive attachment for a medium fiuter F to accurately feed strips into the machine so that all of the strips'will be fluted identically. 7

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of this invention but what I claim as new is:

1. In a medium fluter of thetype embodying a pair of inter-meshing rotatable fiuting rolls; an attachment for automatically feeding and guiding a strip on edge into and between the rolls including a guide having a tapering nose extending into the machine and between the roll having a guide slot for receiving a strip on edge to be fluted, a slide block reciprocally carried by the guide having a feed hook for engaging the rear end of'astrip placed in the slot, and means for reciprocating the slide block in the guide for feeding a strip in the slot into and between the rolls in an exact time relation relative to the teeth on said rolls embodying a crank pivotally supported at one end on the guide and including an arm extending partially overa'n edge of one roll, means operatively connecting a with its hook and strip towardthe rolls.

crank and block in one position, and at least one cam V shoe carried by thelast mentioned roll for engaging and operating the crank to slide the block during the rotation the flirting rolls including a guide having a tapered nose extending into the machine and leading between the rolls 7 and having a guide slot opening out through its inner end for receiving a strip on edge, a slide block reciprocally mounted in said guide and having'a feed hookon its outer end for engaging and receiving the outer end of a strip placed inthe slot, a'crankrockably carried by the V 15' guide, a pin and slot connection between therslide block and crank whereby upon movement of the crank theslide block will be' carried therewith, spring means normally holding the crank and slide block in one position with the feed hook'disposed to receive: a strip and with fan'arm of the crank positioned partially overan edge of one fluting roll, and at least one cam shoe carried by the last men tioned fluting roll forlengaging the arm of the crank for carrying said crank therewith against the tension of the spring for moving the slide block toward thefluting rolls a V V for feeding a strip engaged by said hook into and between the arm 31 can be set in an exact selected position relae tive to the arm and theoperating cams or shoes 38. The position of the cams or shoes 38 on the fiuting roll '11 can vary according too the length of the strip S, that said rolls.

3. In a medium fiuter as defined in claim 2 and said mentioned arm of the; crank being adjustable to accurately position the same relative to thefcam shoe- 7 g V '4. In a medium fluter of the type embodying a pair of inter-meshing rotatable fluting rolls, an'attachment for feeding and guiding'astrip to be fluted on edge into and between said rolls including a guide extendinginto the machine havinga forwardly tapered nose positioned between said rolls and having a guide slotfor receiving.

a strip to be fluted on edge, a slide block reciprocally mounted in said guide and having a strip engaging hook on its outer end for moving said strip upon inward movement of'the block in said guide between the rolls,

block whereby upon movement of the crank the slide block will be moved therewith, spring means normally holding the slide blockand crank in one position the hook ready to receive the outer end ofa strip, cam shoes rotation of the rolls thecrank will be carried therewith for a partial rotation of the rolls to slide the slide. block 5. In a medium 'fiuter of" the type including a pair of rotatable inter-meshing rolls; an attachmentfor feeding and guiding a strip on edge automatically into and 'be- 7 tween the rolls including a pair of facing guide blocks rigidly secured to the machine spaced for a portion of their length to define a guide slot for receiving .a strip to be fluted on edge, the forward ends of said guide blocks being tapered and leading toward and between the rolls, one of said guide blocks being channeled and slotted, a

slide block mounted in the channel for'reciprocating move- I 0 mounting the outer end of the long arm on the mounting bracket, means operatively connecting the crank with the. slide block including a pin and slot connection between the crank and slide block, the inner end of said short arm,

terminating-in a hook, cam shoes equidistantly'spaced the crank with the block, means normally holding the carried by one face of one flutingroll, and spring means 5 6 normally holding the slide block at the outer end of the References Cited by the Efiamillei slot with the feed hook positioned to receive a strip placed UNITED STATES PATENTS in the slot and with the short arm of the crank partially 2 253 311 8/41 Ward 1O1 66 over the edge of the fluting roll carrying the cam shoes :0 1:9 12 1 Long 156 588 and in the path of movement of the cam shoes whereby 5 3,012,773 12/61 Braun 27142 XR said cam shoes will actuate said crank. L M BERGERT, P i E i 

1. IN A MEDIUM FLUTER OF THE TYPE EMBODYING A PAIR OF INTER-MESHING ROTATABLE FLUTING ROLLS; AN ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMATICALLY FEEDING AND GUIDING A STRIP ON EDGE INTO AND BETWEEN THE ROLLS INCLUDING A GUIDE HAVING A TAPERING NOSE EXTENDING INTO THE MACHINE AND BETWEEN THE ROLLS HAVING A GUIDE SLOT FOR RECEIVING A STRIP ON EDGE TO BE FLUTED, A SLIDE BLOCK RECIPROCALLY CARRIED BY THE GUIDE HAVING A FEED HOOK FOR ENGAGING THE REAR END OF A STRIP PLACED IN THE SLOT, AND MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING THE SLIDE BOCK IN THE GUIDE FOR FEEDING A STRIP IN THE SLOT INTO AND BETWEEN THE ROLLS IN AN EXACT TIME RELATION RELATIVE TO THE TEETH ON SAID ROLLS EMBODYING A CRANK PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED AT ONE END OF THE GUIDE AND INCLUDING AN ARM EXTENDNG PARTIALLY 